In a new case, state prosecutors said Monday that they suspect him and another lawmaker of receiving bribes worth some $242,000 from the construction firm Serveng in return for helping it win contracts.

The prosecutors suspect Serveng made donations to the ruling PMDB party that ended up going into Calheiros's pocket, they said in a statement.

Calheiros denied the allegation in his own statement.

He is considered Temer's most powerful ally. Together they led impeachment procedures that ended in the removal of Temer's predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, from office in August.